Discography

Part 2: Early Discography (France)

Some of my earliest recordings, mostly as a staff engineer at Studios Davout in Paris.
This list is incomplete, since I didn't keep a log of all the sessions I did at the time.
Here are the ones I remember.

Click on the thumbnails below for format, chart entries and additional info.

Alligators

Ca decoiffe

Alligators:

Ca decoiffe

Role:

Mix (4 tracks)

Format:

LP and Single

1985

Label:

Big Beat/Virgin

Mickey Baker

Jazz Blues Rock

Mickey Baker:

Jazz Blues Rock

Role:

Rec

Format:

LP

1984

Label:

Memories

Beretta

Pacifique

Beretta:

Pacifique

Role:

Mix

Format:

45

1984

Label:

Marlowe/Madrigal

Big Voice Odom

Feel So Good

Big Voice Odom:

Feel So Good

Role:

Rec

Format:

LP

1982

Label:

Isabel/WEA (France)

Chicago Blues album, recorded live to 2 tracks during the same six-hour session as the Little Milton LP.
Grand Prix Du Jazz Award, Paris, 1982.

Blaspheme

Desir de vampyr

Blaspheme:

Desir de vampyr

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

LP

1985

Label:

Celluloid

French Metal band, with an opera-trained lead singer

Bleu Nuit

Emma

Bleu Nuit:

Emma

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

Single

1983

Label:

Warner/Sire US

Jean-Michel Cabrimol & La Mafia

Coucou Lanmou

Jean-Michel Cabrimol & La Mafia:

Coucou Lanmou

Role:

Mix

Format:

LP

1982

Label:

Blue Silver/Melodie

Club Charismatique - Jean Neplin

Un homme dangereux / The Watcher

Club Charismatique - Jean Neplin:

Un homme dangereux / The Watcher

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

Single

1983

Label:

Mankin/Virgin

Produced by Mirways (Taxi Girl). A true original. R.I.P.

Cyclope

Pas fier d'etre ici

Cyclope:

Pas fier d'etre ici

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

Single

1985

Label:

Madrigal

Doudou N'Daye Rose

Sabar

Doudou N'Daye Rose:

Sabar

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

LP

1986

Label:

Melodie

Equivoc

Equivoc

Equivoc:

Equivoc

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

LP

1984

Label:

Barclay

Rock/Funk Band

Fatidic Seconde

Le chemin d'un reve

Fatidic Seconde:

Le chemin d'un reve

Role:

Mix (b-side only)

Format:

Single

1985

Label:

A&M

Gilles Floro

Reve Bleu

Gilles Floro:

Reve Bleu

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

LP

1986

Label:

Melodie

Richard Galliano

Spleen

Richard Galliano:

Spleen

Role:

Rec

Format:

LP

1985

Label:

CY/Musidisc

Renaud Hantson

Ta voix sur le repondeur

Renaud Hantson:

Ta voix sur le repondeur

Role:

Rec, mix

Format:

Single

1986

Label:

Phonogram

Highland Queen

Highland Queen

Highland Queen:

Highland Queen

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

5 song EP/Mini Lp

1985

Label:

Power Records/Melodie

French Metal

Ho-Sai

The Last One

Ho-Sai:

The Last One

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

Single

1986

Label:

Off The Tracks

Gerard Hubert

Dance Bonne Pas Dance

Gerard Hubert:

Dance Bonne Pas Dance

Role:

Mix

Format:

LP

1984/1985?

Label:

Celluloid

Zouk

Lawlessness

On the Run

Lawlessness:

On the Run

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

LP

1982

Label:

Saravah

Hard Rock band from the South of France, notable for having two female lead singers

Michel Legrand

Il Etait Une Fois... L'espace (Du Cote D'Andromede)

Michel Legrand:

Il Etait Une Fois... L'espace (Du Cote D'Andromede)

Role:

Mix

Format:

LP

1982

Label:

RCA

Philippe Lejeune

Blues for Kathy

Philippe Lejeune:

Blues for Kathy

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

LP

1982

Label:

Blue Silver

Piano/drums jazz/blues, straight to stereo lp

Jean Francois Leon

Les Longs Manteaux (OST)

Jean Francois Leon:

Les Longs Manteaux (OST)

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

OST

1986

Label:

EMI

Little Milton

The Blues Is Allright

Little Milton:

The Blues Is Allright

Role:

Rec

Format:

LP

1982

Label:

Isabel/WEA (France)

Chicago Blues album, recorded live to 2 tracks during the same six hour session as the Big Voice Odom LP.
"Grand Prix de l'Academie du Disque Francais" Award, 1982.

Grazziella Michelle

Sweet Jane

Grazziella Michelle:

Sweet Jane

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

1 track on the "Les Enfants Du Velvet" LP

1985

Label:

Virgin (France)

With Cathy Claret on bass

Mikado

Mikado

Mikado:

Mikado

Role:

Rec, Mix, Guitar (one track)

Format:

LP

1984

Label:

Non Standard/Teichiku Records (Japan/France)

Mikado were a cool, quirky duo who were big in Japan.

Mikado

Naufrage En Hiver

Mikado:

Naufrage En Hiver

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

Single

1984

Label:

Non Standard/Teichiku Records (Japan/France)

Mikado

Carnaval

Mikado:

Carnaval

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

Single

1985

Label:

Non Standard/Teichiku Records (Japan/France)

Mohro

Mohro

Mohro:

Mohro

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

Mini LP

1985

Label:

Polygram

Moko & Barney Wilen

Le jazz a Joe

Moko & Barney Wilen:

Le jazz a Joe

Role:

Mix

Format:

Single

1981?1982?1983?

Punk/Pop/Jazz anyone? Produced by jazzman Barney Willen. Now a collector's item, the record comes with a cool 12 page comic insert.

Serge Newtone

Le Fun

Serge Newtone:

Le Fun

Role:

Mix

Format:

Single

1986

Label:

CBS

Lucky Peterson

Ridin'

Lucky Peterson:

Ridin'

Role:

Rec

Format:

LP

1984

Label:

Isabel/Musidisc (France)

Chicago Blues album, recorded live to 2 tracks during a single afternoon session, along with the Melvin Taylor LP

Le Quatuor De Saxophones

Le Quatuor De Saxophones:

Mad Sax 2

Sheila

On Dit... (album track)

Sheila:

On Dit... (album track)

Role:

Rec

Format:

One track on LP

1983

Label:

Carrere

Recorded one song. The session was billed as a demo session, so everything went very fast, just a rhythm session date, then a guide vocal by Sheila. What was supposed to be a demo apparently turned into an actual recording and made it on the album.

Nina Simone

Fodder On My Wings

Nina Simone:

Fodder On My Wings

Role:

Rec

Format:

LP

1982

Label:

Carrere (France)

Possibly the most intense experience I ever had in a studio. An atmosphere of madness surrounded the sessions. One day, she threw a vintage Neuman 47 flying into the control room window because I was smoking a cigarette ("I don't like my engineers to smoke" she explained, lighting a marlboro). Another day she fired her gun at someone that annoyed her - turned out to be blanks, thankfully. A very talented but unfortunately torn artist. R.I.P.
This album was recently released in the US.

Stocks

Tellement Seul

Stocks:

Tellement Seul

Role:

Mix

Format:

Single

1986

Label:

CBS

Produced by Nono (Trust)

Sugar Blue

Paris To Chicago

Sugar Blue:

Paris To Chicago

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

LP

1982

Label:

Blue Silver (France)

Sugar Blue was known for having been discovered in Paris' subway, playing blues harp, and went on to play on the Stones' Miss You. My very first album, I had no idea what I was doing.

Taxi Girl

Nous Sommes Jeunes, Nous Sommes Fiers

Taxi Girl:

Nous Sommes Jeunes, Nous Sommes Fiers

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

Single

1984

Label:

Virgin (France)

I'd worked as an assistant on their first single a few years before, when there were a quintet. I was a huge fan of theirs and thought they were the best band in France at the time. Then they became a quartet, then a trio, and by the time I worked with them on this record, they'd become a duo. Years later Mirways resurfaced to produce the album "Music" for Madonna.

Taxi Girl

Paris

Taxi Girl:

Paris

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

Single, 12"

1984

Label:

Virgin (France)

Another collaboration with Taxi Girl, who were then reduced to Mirways and Daniel Darc. Originally influenced by The Doors, Kraftwerk and the Velvets, they were by then listening to the urban sounds coming from New York.

Taxi Girl

Je Reve Encore De Toi (Stephanie Says)

Taxi Girl:

Je Reve Encore De Toi (Stephanie Says)

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

1 track on the "Les Enfants Du Velvet" LP

1985

Label:

Virgin (France)

This song had always been a favourite of mine - back when it was on a cassette-only bootleg compilation of 22 unreleased Velvet songs. Taxi Girl were a band I'd always loved and we had a great time doing the sessions.

Melvin Taylor

Plays The Blues For You

Melvin Taylor:

Plays The Blues For You

Role:

Rec

Format:

LP

1984

Label:

Isabel/Musidisc (France)

Chicago Blues album, recorded live to 2 tracks during a single afternoon session along with the Lucky Peterson LP

Aliss Terrel

I'll Be Your Mirror

Aliss Terrel:

I'll Be Your Mirror

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

1 track on the "Les Enfants Du Velvet" LP

1985

Label:

Virgin (France)

Trust

Trust IV (Ideal)

Trust:

Trust IV (Ideal)

Role:

Add Rec, Mix (2 songs: Varsovie, Armes Aux Yeux)

Format:

LP

1982

Label:

CBS (France)

Album produced by Andy Johns - of Led Zeppelin and Stones fame. I started the project as the assistant's assistant, and ended up recording most of the guitar and vocal overdubs. I also mixed two songs, including "Varsovie" which was one of my favorite tracks on the album. The project took an unheard-of (for a French act) six months to complete, 7 days a week, during which time many (including me) went slightly over the edge.

Trust

Man's Trap

Trust:

Man's Trap

Role:

Rec, Mix

Format:

LP

1984

Label:

CBS (France)

English lyrics version of the Trust album originally produced by Andy Johns, new vocals and mixes.

Trust

Rock'n'Roll

Trust:

Rock'n'Roll

Role:

Co-Prod, Rec, Mix

Format:

LP

1984

Label:

CBS (France)

The A&R guy at CBS had instructed me to "get as much as you can on tape, as fast as you can", so convinced was the label that the band wouldn't stay together long enough to complete the album. I did manage to get enough on tape to make an lp, but the strains were much too real, and this wasn't much of a fun project. It also didn't help that the gear in the studio kept breaking down and the room sounded as dry as a cardboard box. Not and ideal situation overall. Not hearing a single, the label asked the band to record one more track, so we went to Miraval in the South of France and cut a song written by pop singer Jean Jacques Goldman, which ultimately didn't help the band retain its fan base.

Henri Salvador

Henri

Henri Salvador:

Henri

Role:

Rec, (Mix?)

Format:

LP

1983

Label:

EMI Pathe Marconi

At the end of the project, Henri Salvador thanked me and said: "You know, for a leftwinger, you actually work like a conservative". He meant this as a compliment, that although I looked like a "pinko" (long-haired guy in leather jacket, tattered jeans, converse sneakers and I usually carried the left-wing daily Liberation), I actually worked my ass off.